End standard for theater chairs



April 7, 1942- k JIRANEK. ,218,356

END-STANDARD Fo'R THEATER CHAIRS Filed July 8, 1940 Patented Apr. 7, 1942 I UNITED STATES PATENT o rrlce END STANDARD FOR THEATER CHAIRS Leo Jiranek, New York, N. Y., assignor to Heywood-Wakefield Company, Gardner, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July-8, 1940, Serial No. 344,340

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in end standards for theater chairs and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is more especially concerned with an end standard for a theater chair employed at that end of a row of chairs, located on one of the aisles of .a theater for producing a subdued illumination whereby the lateral aisle between adjacent rows of chairs may be distinguished by a patron entering the darkened auditorium of the theater.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an end standard for a theater chair which provides for efficient aisle illumination and which is of simple construction for low cost production.

Another object of the invention is to provide a standard of this kind which provides a light ray opening by a novel arrangement of the parts of the standard and which opening is so disposed that while the associated aisle is well illuminated, no light rays are directed across the aisle'to be objectionable to the occupant of the end chair at the opposite side of the aisle.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the advantages thereof, will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of an end standard for a theater'chair embodying the preferred form of the invention, and shows the outer face or aisle side thereof;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View in elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the inner face of the standard about the light enclosing housing thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view through a part of the standard as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through a part of the standard as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing: ID indicates the improved end standard as a whole which includes upper and lower vertically disposed body portions I I and I2 respectively. The upper body portion is arranged in a vertical plane spaced outwardly from the vertical plane of the lower portion and the bottom end of said upper body portion is joined to the top end of the lower body portion by a junction portion l3.

The bottom end of the lower body portion I2 is formed to provide spaced legs l4-I4. The

top end of the upper body portion is provided with an inwardly extending flange [5 (see Fig. 1) and to which the arm rest I6 of the standard may be secured in any suitable manner. At the rear margin of the standard is an inwardly directed flange ll which extends the full length of the standard. The front margin of the upper portion and the lower portion of the body are provided with inwardly directed flange portions 58 and M respectively, the bottom end of the flange portion 48 curving rearwardly to join the top end of the flange portion l9 at the junction l3.. Each leg 14 has anv inwardly extending flange 2!] providing the base or foot therefor and whereby the standard as a whole may be bolted in position upon a floor.

In the junction portion is, at the front margin of the standard, is provided a somewhat horizontally elongated opening or slot 21'. On the back or inner face of the standard is provided a housing 22 having top and bottom horizontal walls 23, 24 and an end wall 25, the other end wall of the housing being provided by parts of the flange portions l8 and I8 respectively. In said housing is a vertical partition 26. The walls mentioned provide an open end for the housing and to which may be removably secured a cover plate 21.

The top wall 23 of the housing is disposed above the plane of the junction portion 13 and the bottom wall 24 of the housing is disposed below the plane of said junction portion. The partition 26 which is disposed in a plane rearwardly of the associated end of the opening 2! divides the housing into a socket receiving compartment 28 and a light receiving compartment 29, as appears in Fig. 2. Therefore, the opening or slot 2! communicates only with the light receiving compartment 29. The partition 26 supports a socket 30, which receives a lamp bulb 3| disposed in the compartment 29.

With the socket arrangement described, the lamp bulb is disposed in a plane below that of theopening 2|. In the compartment 29 is located a curved reflector 32 that rests at its bottom edge on the wall 2% and its upper edge is engaged with the junctioncorner of the Wall 23 with the upper body portion N. This disposes the reflector between the lamp bulb 3! and-the cover plate 2? and whereby the cover plate holds the reflector in position.

In the operation of the structure described, the rays from the lamp 3| impinge against the reflector and are deflected downwardly through the opening 2| to the floor upon which the standard is engaged.

With the structure described, a simple and efiicient end standard results and the greater part of which may be made as a casting. The light bulb, socket and reflector are easily assembled in place and the reflector is held in place by the cover. Should the lamp burn out, the cover and reflector are readily removed for the application of a new lamp and the reflector and cover then replaced.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form and arrangement of certain parts thereof, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An end standard for a theater chair or the like embodying therein an upright body portion including a lower end part and a part above and spaced laterally outward from the outer face of said lower end part, the juncture of said two parts being formed to provide an opening for the passage of light therethrough, means on theinner face of said body portion providing a casing having parts disposed above and below said opening, source of light in said casing below said opening and a reflector in said casing having a portion above said opening to direct light from said source downwardly and outwardly through said opening.

2. An end standard for a theater chair or the like embodying therein a body portion including a lower end part and an upper end part offset laterally outward from the outer face of the lower end part and joined thereto by a bulge, there being an opening in said bulge at the front margin of the body for the passage of light therethrough, means on the inner face of the body portion providing a casing extending above and below said opening, means in said casing below said opening adapted to hold a source of light, and reflecting means in said casing and having a part disposed above said opening for reflecting light from said source outwardly and downwardly through said open- 3. An end standard for a theater chair or the like embodying therein an upright body portion including a lower end part and a part above and spaced laterally outward from the outer face of said lower end part, there being an opening formed in the body in the vicinity of the juncture of said laterally offset upper and lower end parts, a casing on the inner face of said body portion and extending above and below said juncture, a source of light in said casing below said opening and reflecting means in said casing and formed to deflect light from said source out through said opening.

4. An end standard for a theater chair or the like embodying therein an upright body portion including a lower end part and a part above and spaced laterally outward from the outer face of said lower end part, there being an opening formed in the body in the vicinity of the juncture of said laterally offset upper and lower end parts, a casing on the inner face of said body portion and extending above and below said juncture and including a closure member spaced inwardly from said body portion, a source of light positioned in said casing below said opening and between said body portion and said closure member, and means in said casing between said closure member and said source of light and formed for reflecting light therefrom out through said opening.

5. An end standard for a theater chair or the like embodying therein an upright body portion including a lower end part and a part above and spaced laterally outward from the outer face of said lower end part, there being an opening formed in the body in the vicinity of the juncture of said laterally offset upper and lower end parts, a casing on the inner face of said body portion and extending above and below said juncture, a source of light in said casing below said opening, and a reflecting member in said casin and receiving light from said source and having a part disposed above said opening and operating to reflect light through said opening.

6. An end standard for a theater chair or the like embodying therein an upright body portion including a lower end part and a part above and spaced laterally outward from the lower end part and connected thereto by a substantially horizontally disposed junction part in which is an elongated opening, a casing on the inner side of said body portion and extending above and below said opening, a source of light in said casing and arranged below said opening and a reflecting member in said casing and including a part disposed above and below said opening and reflecting light from said source of light out through said opening.

7. An end standard for a theatre chair or the like embodying therein a cast metal upright body portion having a lower end part and a part above and spaced outwardly from said lower end part, there being a horizontal juncture part with an elongated slot therein connecting said parts together, walls on the inner faces of said body portion and arranged to provide an open back casing having parts extending above and below said opening, a source of light in said casing below said opening, a closure for the open back of the casing, and a reflector member in said casing and having a part disposed between said source of light and said closure and having another part extending into a plane above said opening for reflecting light through said opening.

8. An end standard for a theatre chair or the like embodying therein a cast metal upright body portion having inturned flange portions at the front and a lower end part, an upper end part above and spaced laterally outward from and connected to said lower end part by a junction portion in which is an elongated opening, horizontal and vertical walls on the inner face of and integral with said body portion and coacting with a part of said flange portions in providing an open back casing on the inner face of said body portion and extending above and below said opening, a source of light in said casing below said opening and supported in one of said vertical walls, a closure for the open back of thecasing and a reflecting member in a part of said casing and having a part disposed between said source of light and said closure plate and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom to a point above said opening and adjacent said upper end part of the body for reflecting light out through said opening.

LEO JIRANEK. 

